Hôtel des Grands Voyageurs, Paris hotel review
Location
Hôtel des Grands Voyageurs can be found in the 6th Arrondissement, a stone's throw from Saint-Placide Metro station, yet tucked around the corner to avoid any noise from the local late-night bars. A 10-minute walk south is the Montparnasse Tower, the 56th floor of which offers the best views of the Eiffel Tower in the city. You are also just a short stroll away from a superb array of cafés, shops and bars.
You're looking at an hour or so in a cab from Charles De Gaulle Airport, but Eurostar travellers should be able to step off the train carriage and reach reception in about 45 minutes, via either a taxi or the Metro.
The vibe
The Art-Ddeco aesthetics of 1950s-era America fit slickly with the city's sensibilities – all dark wood furniture and soft lighting delivering a sense of crisp comfort throughout. The bar takes pride of place behind the reception desk and is complete with kaleidoscopic shelves of bottles. There's also a restaurant.
Service
A friendly face is usually ready to greet guests, answer questions or reserve table at the restaurant. On our visit we ambitiously booked dinner for the night of our arrival, but Eurostar had other plans and our delays meant moving it back 24 hours – something reception handled with no issues.
Bed and bath
Neat and compact, the floor space was standard for a city-centre hotel, but the bathroom was generous with a walk-in shower and Diptyque toiletries. A Nespresso coffee machine assuaged the need to rush down for breakfast while ample space and hangers were provided in the wardrobe, along with a bathrobe and slippers. A rare touch of overcomplication came in the form of 'day' and 'night' light switches, which appeared to be running on a different timezone.
Food and drink
It is a bold play to land in the capital of France, of all places, survey the culinary culture and say: 'Anyone for mac and cheese balls?'. But that is what Hôtel des Grands Voyageurs has done with offerings such as lobster roll, New York burger and a dessert called Snickers Nostalgia on a relatively concise menu. And yet, this is no Yankee Doodle ho-down and the restaurant nails the delicate balance between gourmet and approachable with flare. French staples such as cordon bleu and those mac and cheese balls are divine.
The downstairs Poppy Bar is open until 2am for nights you don't want to end, with signature cocktails available alongside classics. Napa Valley wines are mixed in among local offerings and Telmont champagne.
They also open the kitchen for Sunday brunch and a classic breakfast buffet features plenty of fruit, cheeses and pastries. The bacon is of the American variation, but overall, the offerings are comfortably continental.
Facilities
Guests can enjoy a reasonably-sized gym and sauna, plus parking in the basement.
Accessibility
All public spaces are accessible, and four rooms are fully adapted for disabled guests. Staff are also specifically trained to help those who have additional needs.
Pet policy
Pets can stay in the hotel for €35 per pet, per night.
Check in/out
Check-in from 3pm, check-out until 12pm.
Family friendly?
There is a kid's menu in the restaurant, but the hotel's child-friendliness ends there.
At a glance
Best thing:
Superbly located for discovering some favourite Parisienne haunts.
Perfect for: Couples and small groups out to indulge in some familiar-but-fresh culinary delights.
Not right for: Travellers seeking a strictly classic Parisian experience.
Instagram from: Recreate your own Nighthawks shot from the sleek and shimmering front-of-house bar by reception.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Guardian
3 hours ago
- The Guardian
Call to ban ‘intolerant' child-free resorts and hotels in France
Child-free resorts and adult-only hotels are discriminatory, risk creating a society of intolerance and should be banned, a French senator has said, amid a growing debate in France on whether it is inhumane to exclude children from holidays. 'We can't organise society by separating children off from ourselves in the same way some establishments don't take dogs,' said Socialist senator and former French families minister Laurence Rossignol. 'Children aren't troublesome pets.' Last month, the French government's high commissioner for childhood, Sarah El Haïry – who has warned that adult-only holiday resorts were 'not part of [French] culture, not our philosophy and not what we want to see as the norm in our country' – launched a Family Choice award as part of what she called a 'fight against the new no kids trend'. El Haïry called for French parents to vote for their favourite child-friendly locations as a way to 'put children back at the heart of public space' and stand up to the adults-only sector. 'No way can we let it take hold in our society that children aren't welcome on a restaurant terrace,' she told Parents magazine. But Rossignol said the government must go further, and called for a parliamentary debate on her proposal to make it illegal to ban children from venues in France. Rossignol said child-free spaces amounted to 'organising society around people's intolerance of others' and served to 'institutionalise and legitimise intolerance'. Rossignol said these resorts 'allow people to say: 'I don't like children and I don't want to see them.' And that is not acceptable, because to not like children is to not like humanity itself.' Child-free resorts and hotels – often advertised with images of relaxed adults on sun-loungers undisturbed by kids shouting or dive-bombing in the pool – have expanded across the world in recent years, and businesses say demand has risen since the Covid lockdowns. For decades, hotels reserved for adults have been popular in locations such as Mexico and Central America, Thailand and Greece, attracting many northern European tourists, including Germans and Britons. South Korea has also seen a rise in child-free cafes and restaurants. But France – traditionally family-focused and with one of the highest birthrates in Europe – has instead prided itself on its family-friendly holiday attractions, from towering hotel waterslides to campsites with kids' clubs. France has relatively few adult-only hotels and resorts, estimated to account for 3–5% of overall tourism, far less than neighbouring Spain, a market leader. As the French birthrate declines and the president, Emmanuel Macron, calls for a 'demographic rearmament' of pro-child policies, there is renewed debate over children's shrinking place in society. An expert report last year on reducing French children's screen-time said children must be given more alternatives to phones and take up their 'rightful place' in society, including 'their right to be noisy'. Véronique Siegel, the president of the hotel section of the UMIH trade union, said child-free hotels were 'extremely rare' in France compared with the total number of tourism businesses. She said there was a targeted market and hotels were simply meeting clients' demands. She added: 'For people seeking adult destinations, if there are none left in France because we're told it's illegal, would they go to neighbouring European countries, or further afield?' Vincent Lagarde, an associate professor of entrepreneurship and business at the University of Limoges, who studies the business model of child-free resorts, said the top reason holidaymakers chose them was not because they hated children, but because they needed a rest. Lagarde said: 'There is a kind of physical and mental exhaustion in French society right now, a need to switch off from professional and family burdens. It's much more complex than simply not liking children, because my research showed that around one-third or more of these holidaymakers were exhausted parents who needed a break from their family. It wasn't that they didn't like children, they just needed a pause from the rhythm of the rest of the year. And I also observed teachers, or people who work with children. These aren't people who don't like kids, but people who need a bit of time without them.' Lagarde found the second reason people chose child-free resorts was for special time as a couple or with friends – a 2014 poll in France found that 56% of parents had gone on holiday without their children, mostly for romantic mini-breaks. Finally, there was what Lagarde called a 'perception of luxury' associated with adults-only locations. These hotels could charge higher prices simply because there were no children making noise. Lagarde said that while French anti-discrimination and trade laws were open to interpretation on the issue, no family in France had ever brought a legal complaint against a hotel for not admitting children. He said the sector was likely to continue to grow steadily in France, in the same way that child-free weddings had increased. Jean-Didier Urbain, an anthropologist and author of a recent book, What Our Travels Say About Us, said: 'There's a trend in society to seek more comfort and relaxation, more time to pause, and this is part of that. 'Vacations, after all, are traditionally a moment where citizens can detach themselves from their social obligations.'
The Guardian
6 hours ago
- The Guardian
Call to ban ‘intolerant' child-free resorts and hotels in France
Child-free resorts and adult-only hotels are discriminatory, risk creating a society of intolerance and should be banned, a French senator has said, amid a growing debate in France on whether it is inhumane to exclude children from holidays. 'We can't organise society by separating children off from ourselves in the same way some establishments don't take dogs,' said Socialist senator and former French families minister Laurence Rossignol. 'Children aren't troublesome pets.' Last month, the French government's high commissioner for childhood, Sarah El Haïry – who has warned that adult-only holiday resorts were 'not part of [French] culture, not our philosophy and not what we want to see as the norm in our country' – launched a Family Choice award as part of what she called a 'fight against the new no kids trend'. El Haïry called for French parents to vote for their favourite child-friendly locations as a way to 'put children back at the heart of public space' and stand up to the adults-only sector. 'No way can we let it take hold in our society that children aren't welcome on a restaurant terrace,' she told Parents magazine. But Rossignol said the government must go further, and called for a parliamentary debate on her proposal to make it illegal to ban children from venues in France. Rossignol said child-free spaces amounted to 'organising society around people's intolerance of others' and served to 'institutionalise and legitimise intolerance'. Rossignol said these resorts 'allow people to say: 'I don't like children and I don't want to see them.' And that is not acceptable, because to not like children is to not like humanity itself.' Child-free resorts and hotels – often advertised with images of relaxed adults on sun-loungers undisturbed by kids shouting or dive-bombing in the pool – have expanded across the world in recent years, and businesses say demand has risen since the Covid lockdowns. For decades, hotels reserved for adults have been popular in locations such as Mexico and Central America, Thailand and Greece, attracting many northern European tourists, including Germans and Britons. South Korea has also seen a rise in child-free cafes and restaurants. But France – traditionally family-focused and with one of the highest birthrates in Europe – has instead prided itself on its family-friendly holiday attractions, from towering hotel waterslides to campsites with kids' clubs. France has relatively few adult-only hotels and resorts, estimated to account for 3–5% of overall tourism, far less than neighbouring Spain, a market leader. As the French birthrate declines and the president, Emmanuel Macron, calls for a 'demographic rearmament' of pro-child policies, there is renewed debate over children's shrinking place in society. An expert report last year on reducing French children's screen-time said children must be given more alternatives to phones and take up their 'rightful place' in society, including 'their right to be noisy'. Véronique Siegel, the president of the hotel section of the UMIH trade union, said child-free hotels were 'extremely rare' in France compared with the total number of tourism businesses. She said there was a targeted market and hotels were simply meeting clients' demands. She added: 'For people seeking adult destinations, if there are none left in France because we're told it's illegal, would they go to neighbouring European countries, or further afield?' Vincent Lagarde, an associate professor of entrepreneurship and business at the University of Limoges, who studies the business model of child-free resorts, said the top reason holidaymakers chose them was not because they hated children, but because they needed a rest. Lagarde said: 'There is a kind of physical and mental exhaustion in French society right now, a need to switch off from professional and family burdens. It's much more complex than simply not liking children, because my research showed that around one-third or more of these holidaymakers were exhausted parents who needed a break from their family. It wasn't that they didn't like children, they just needed a pause from the rhythm of the rest of the year. And I also observed teachers, or people who work with children. These aren't people who don't like kids, but people who need a bit of time without them.' Lagarde found the second reason people chose child-free resorts was for special time as a couple or with friends – a 2014 poll in France found that 56% of parents had gone on holiday without their children, mostly for romantic mini-breaks. Finally, there was what Lagarde called a 'perception of luxury' associated with adults-only locations. These hotels could charge higher prices simply because there were no children making noise. Lagarde said that while French anti-discrimination and trade laws were open to interpretation on the issue, no family in France had ever brought a legal complaint against a hotel for not admitting children. He said the sector was likely to continue to grow steadily in France, in the same way that child-free weddings had increased. Jean-Didier Urbain, an anthropologist and author of a recent book, What Our Travels Say About Us, said: 'There's a trend in society to seek more comfort and relaxation, more time to pause, and this is part of that. 'Vacations, after all, are traditionally a moment where citizens can detach themselves from their social obligations.'
Metro
6 hours ago
- Metro
Virgin orders 12 new high-speed trains in biggest challenge to Eurostar yet
Virgin has cranked up its game in the race to end Eurostar's decades-long monopoly of Channel Tunnel rail services. Sir Richard Branson's company has signed a deal for 12 high-speed Avelia Stream trains with Alstom, the French train manufacturer. Virgin will use the rolling stock for journeys from the UK to mainland Europe by 2030, if it secures a sought-after deal to run services through the Channel Tunnel. The plan was revealed in the company's submission to the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) for permission to run services on HS1, the high-speed line from London St Pancras to Kent and on through the Tunnel. According to these documents, Virgin wants to launch routes in the next five years, with trains from London to Paris, Brussels, and Amsterdam, with potential for additional destinations in Germany and Switzerland. If successful, this would put Branson's brand in direct competition with Eurostar. The submission, which suggests that Virgin is the only applicant that has secured funding and trains, is the first significant challenge to Eurostar's dominance of the Channel Tunnel since it began operating in 1994. Virgin first announced plans to take on Eurostar in January. Then in March, a spokesperson said there were 'no more major hurdles to overcome' in its bid to offer an alternative for travellers. This came after the ORR confirmed that Eurostar's Temple Mills maintenance depot could be used by other operators. The depot, where trains are maintained and stored, is crucial for other operators to compete. Alongside improving choice for passengers, Metro understands that Virgin's aim is to inject some joy into their journey across the Channel, which suggests the onboard experience itself will be a priority for the firm. In an effort to win over Eurostar customers, they'll also be sweetening the pot, with bookings connected to its Group-wide rewards programme, Virgin Red. But Branson's iconic brand is not the only one with ambitions. In April, a new potential rival emerged in the form of Italy's national state-owned railway company. Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane (FS Group) said it will launch a new high-speed rail service between London and Paris by 2029 that would compete with Eurostar. The group, which is a co-owner of Avanti West Coast, could extend the route to Marseilles, Lyon and Milan, and is also looking at a possible reopening of Ashford International in Kent. Eurostar stopped calling at the station March 2020 due to Covid. Gemini Trains has also confirmed plans to launch a fleet of 10 trains from the UK to Europe. Other players include London St Pancras High Speed (which recently rebranded from HS1) and Spanish start-up Evolyn. Fares on the rail link between the UK and France have soared since the pandemic, but all of this moving and shaking suggests passengers can soon look forward to a change in the game. More Trending 'Any competition is good competition, and a new player would obviously help to bring rail fares down,' Zoe Adjey, Senior Lecturer at the Institute of Tourism and Hospitality at the University of East London, previously told Metro. She says it's high time that the UK levels up its rail services, both at home and abroad. 'When you think back 30 years ago when we first got Eurostar at Waterloo, you should have been able to move to Manchester at the same speed – that never happened,' she notes. 'The rail industry hasn't done what they were supposed to be doing.' Virgin Group Gemini Trains Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane Evolyn London St Pancras High Speed Uber Trains MORE: We swerved a beach honeymoon for a European city break — we're itching to go back MORE: I've been to 175 countries – but I always go back to these underrated gems MORE: I stumbled across the best bar ever in Europe's newly-crowned 'safest city'
